Are we using the recession as an excuse for lousy service.

[Disney Doll]

I think a lot of businesses are using "the economy" as an excuse for cutting back.

I don't always think it's a valid excuse either.

 

[DVC Sadie]

You have to understand where I live, now the only stores we have is Walmart, Target (brand new), Penneys, Dillards and Sears.

Oh, I remember how horrible it was when I went to college in the Poconos! I live 12 minutes from Willowbrook Mall, 15 from Garden State Plaza, and 25 minutes from the Short Hills Mall, not to mention less than 10 miles from NYC. I'm pretty spoiled!

Yep, I was spoiled too when I lived in the DC area.

After Katrina we were very limited to our choices of where to shop. What we ended up doing was going on vacation to DC to visit with family and friends and bought ourselves some clothes.

 

[merryweather20]

I checked in my closet and the only hangers I have are from Old Navy, hardly an upscale store. Holt Renfrew and April Cornell must be keeping their hangers because the remainder I bought at Linens n Things or were crocheted by my Granma.

I certainly don't see Macy's as an upscale store. We often have jobs in the states, and visit Macy's. It seems in between a Wal-Mart and a Sears. We refer to it in the office as that "department store with cheap pajamas".

This is key. The only way to turn back the tide of cost-cutting and corresponding service compromise is to restore substantial incentives to retailers to offer better service. If a large number of consumers start paying a premium for premium service, paying enough money above and beyond than the cost of offering the premium service to make offering the premium service the best possible use of that portion of the operating budget, then we might see the trend start to slow down, and perhaps even someday reverse.

Service has very little to do with the price. If I'm in Wal-Mart they offer to take my purchases to the car, at Holt Renfrew (like Barney's in the states)they do not.

 

[sunnydoozer]

Oh for the good old days when I could go into Marshall Fields at Christmas and buy a sweater as a gift and the salesperson actually cut off the dollar amount on the price tag (leaving the rest of the tag in case the gift needed to be returned), lined a gift box with tissue folded precisely to fit, folded the sweater into the box, put a gold seal on the tissue paper and basically handed me a gift that only needed to be wrapped before it was ready to go. That was customer service!

Now I only go through the Macy's to get to the rest of the mall because it's so easy to find a parking spot outside of Macy's. However, I may even have to stop that since they've cluttered up the aisles with so many displays that people can only walk single file past them.

I miss Marshall Fields!

You mean they didn't give you a hanger they just folded it up and stuck it in the box How did the sweater survive the tip home

 

[TCPluto]

I try to explain that he is losing a $200 coat sale for a $10 hanger, along with any potential good feelings I may have had about the store.

So, my question is are we accepting lousy service and lousy quality because its a recession?

I notice it here on the Dis. Whenever some one vents about bad food quality or a rise in prices at the world, we (I do it too) say "well it's a bad economy, every one's cutting back.

A 7 page thread in less than 10 hours over a hanger?????? Seriously??

Instead of this being about poor service or entitlement, It looks more like some people have too much time on their hands.

Doesn't anyone have leaves to rake?

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

A 7 page thread in less than 10 hours over a hanger?????? Seriously??

Instead of this being about poor service or entitlement, It looks more like some people have too much time on their hands.

Doesn't anyone have leaves to rake?

I guess we like to "hanger on" some threads!!!

rake leaves?

they are on the tree! (hehehehhehee) so hot today had to water the lawn!

its nice wearing shorts and crocks almost all year 'round!

I bet the OP would get a free hanger with her coat if she went to goodwill!

 

[S. C.]

A 7 page thread in less than 10 hours over a hanger?????? Seriously??

Instead of this being about poor service or entitlement, It looks more like some people have too much time on their hands.

Doesn't anyone have leaves to rake?

Like everyone else took the time to read and then post.

How's your leaves?

 

[kirbsam]

Thanks DVC sadie,
I actually found a nicer one at Nordstroms by the same manufacturer and Nordstroms will ship it to my house (for free, with the hanger)...

Nordstroms has also found a new customer.

so you have been looking for a coat for 3 years, and in less than a day you found 2 that had the price and quality you weere looking for? hmmmm...seems strange.

 

[shortbun]

so you have been looking for a coat for 3 years, and in less than a day you found 2 that had the price and quality you weere looking for? hmmmm...seems strange.

Ha, ha, ha! ITA! And.....I just HAD to join this thread. Seems that the OP 'cut off her nose to spite her face.' So Nordsroms has a new customer who doesn't mind shopping for an extra few hours to get a hanger. lol!!! I LOVE this thread!! It's my first clique thread.

 

[allison443]

I got the impression from the OP that she wanted the hanger to transport the coat home. However, the coat OP ordered from Nordstrom will be shipped in a box, right? I mean, they might include a hanger, but it's not going to be hanging on the hanger in a garment bag. It will be folded in a box. So what was the big argument about needing a hanger? To hang in your own closet? I didn't think Macy's even used decent hangers.

 

[manning]

I guess we like to "hanger on" some threads!!!

rake leaves?

they are on the tree! (hehehehhehee) so hot today had to water the lawn!

its nice wearing shorts and crocks almost all year 'round!

I bet the OP would get a free hanger with her coat if she went to goodwill!

You have to admit she got "hung up" on the hanger issue. I didn't realize I would get hooked on this thread.

 

[monkey68]

I got the impression from the OP that she wanted the hanger to transport the coat home. However, the coat OP ordered from Nordstrom will be shipped in a box, right? I mean, they might include a hanger, but it's not going to be hanging on the hanger in a garment bag. It will be folded in a box. So what was the big argument about needing a hanger? To hang in your own closet? I didn't think Macy's even used decent hangers.

That was the impression I got as well, I never got anything delivered with a hanger. And if you order something with a delivery, chances are, it's going to be folded and rough housed in the shipping center a lot more than taking a coat home by yourself from Macys. I would have just bought the coat, and used my own hanger.

 

[bicker]

Service has very little to do with the price.

Of course it does, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other factors as well.

 

[wdwmom2]

Personally I would have bought the coat, screw the hanger!!!!

That coat at Macy's could have been neatly put in a bag and hanging in a closet in no time at all.

The coat being shipped is going to be folded in a box for who knows how many days!!!!

So let's see, which one is more likely to be wrinkled?????

 

[Mickey's Minion]

You are so absolutely right! LOL! I guess for me, it's more of, I am here at your business spending $250 on a coat. I would like SOME sort of hanger to transport my purchase home, so it is clean and fresh for the first time I choose to wear it (out into that dark, dirty world! )

For me, it isn't about the hanger, but more, them not caring that I am dropping almost the amount I would for a standard washing machine, and I can't even have a hanger to get it home with. But like I said, I would have still bought the coat...

Wow -where can you get a washing machine for $250.00? I just bought one and even the discount stores didn't have a "standard" one for that price.

There is a recession and as somebody pointed out, Macy's lost a ton of money last year.

Every single business I know is looking at ways to reduce operating costs so that they can still offer the product they sell at a decent price.

IF Macy's continued to give out free hangers, then the coat most certainly would not have been almost 53% off.

Macy's is a business, first and foremost. They have to make a profit somewhere. Giving away free things is not a way to conserve costs.

I would much, much rather have the quality at a decent price, then the cost of a wooden hanger included in the price of not only this coat, but every coat that sells. That is a significant cost for Macys.

You were getting $225.00 off a $425.00 coat. If you had walked across the store and picked up a pack of wooden hangers for $10.00, you would still have had an over 50% savings on the coat.

I applaud Macy's for cutting costs where they least impact the customer.

And $200.00 for a coat is a pretty reasonable and standard coat. It is certainly not the luxury item that requires a hanger. Maybe I am a snob shopper, but $200 is about what I would expect to pay for a coat at Target or Kohls or even Macys.

If you were talking a cashmere 4 figure coat, then yes, I would agree that a hanger should come with it.

 

[LaurenLC]

If the coat was the same price at Nordstrom as it was at Macys I’ll be SHOCKED! You go to Nordstrom for service and more ‘unique’ items…. You go to Macys for a deal!

 

[Mickey's Minion]

I notice it here on the Dis. Whenever some one vents about bad food quality or a rise in prices at the world, we (I do it too) say "well it's a bad economy, every one's cutting back.

That's just it. I went that long because I didn't want the crappy stuff that I think that the sell in Walmart. I waited because I'm wanted a coat that I really liked, not just some thing to get me through the winter.
I do have a winter coat that's a little long in the tooth so no I'm not Tiny tim shivering in the snow.

I'll wait a long time to get some thing that's great quality and I love vs. some thing that's just cheap.

It was a choice to wait, by no means a necessity.
Sorry if that was unclear.

I am curious.

Do you not believe there is a recession?

What do you expect Macy's to do during this economic crisis to stay in business?

What would your suggestion be to Macy's to be able to stay in business, yet still provide hangers to all the customers?

Let a few a more service people go? - That would impact customer service in a much more drastic way and further impact the economy as there would be more people drawing unemployment.

Raise prices to include the cost of the hanger? Oh wait, that won't work because you just complained about businesses (Disney) raising prices.

Lower the quality of the merchandise so the price can remain the same and the price of the hanger can be included? Hmmm, that won't work as this was a coat with the quality that you were searching for over 3 years.

What exactly do you expect from a business in this economic crisis? What would have been your solution to Macy's to get the coat with the quality you waited for, at the price you wanted, with the hanger - without Macy's losing money on it?

I don't think you really believe there is an economic crisis.

 

[tinatark]

Sometimes it's just the principle. That seems to be the case here.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

You have to admit she got "hung up" on the hanger issue. I didn't realize I would get hooked on this thread.

Hooks are bad, manning. Makes a bump in the back.

Wow -where can you get a washing machine for $250.00? I just bought one and even the discount stores didn't have a "standard" one for that price.

I was wondering that too? Craigslist? Without the box!

what happens if it gets to your house and there is no hanger...will you refuse to take delivery of it?

I'm sure there are a hundred other ways to cut costs, but again, some things should be left as an option to the customer. If I'm shopping at a department store, and have bought an item in one department, I normally decline a shopping bag in the next one. So there, I've saved that company a whopping nickle.

Personally, I don't think bad service is a reflection of the economy as much as a reflection of the "me" generation. Those who feel they are doing the company a favor just by showing up and collecting a paycheck. Many don't earn it anymore.

About those hundreds of ways to cut costs...1) there will probably be customers who object to one/all of them, as much as objecting to not getting a hanger, and 2) all those hundreds of ways, if implemented, probably save a lot of money.

A 7 page thread in less than 10 hours over a hanger?????? Seriously??

Instead of this being about poor service or entitlement, It looks more like some people have too much time on their hands.

Doesn't anyone have leaves to rake?

I just came back to the thread today, after doing all sorts of productive things yesterday. And DH has the thingie (?) on the back of his riding mower to pick up leaves, so it's all good.

I don't think of Macy's as high end as much as overpriced. I needed a new coffee pot...a specific one to replace the one we owned that broke...and it was $70 at Macy's, and $34 at Apex, but since I didn't feel like going to Apex just for that, I got it at Amazon.com for $40 with free shipping.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

A 7 page thread in less than 10 hours over a hanger?????? Seriously??

Instead of this being about poor service or entitlement, It looks more like some people have too much time on their hands.

Doesn't anyone have leaves to rake?

well no--I live in Florida after all. Everything is still Green and stuck to the tree.